Who cracks top 5 in latest Cy Young poll?

The two southpaws dominating their respective leagues are still the favorites in the first MLB.com Cy Young Award poll of the second half.

Tarik Skubal and Chris Sale led the way in our last poll heading into the All-Star break. And they remain in the No. 1 spots now.

But some new names are moving up to challenge them -- keep your eye on Paul Skenes in the NL, who's rising up the ranks.

MLB.com's experts ranked their top five Cy Young picks in the American League and National League, based on what's happened so far this season and what they expect will happen the rest of the year. Players received vote points on a 5-4-3-2-1 scale -- five points for a first-place vote, four points for a second-place vote and so on -- with 36 voters participating.

Here are the results. (All stats are entering the week.)

AMERICAN LEAGUE

1. Tarik Skubal, Tigers (32 1st-place votes)

Skubal is in the running for a Triple Crown. He's tied for the American League lead in both ERA (2.57, with Seth Lugo) and strikeouts (162, with Garrett Crochet), and he's one off the league lead in wins (12, one behind Lugo and Grayson Rodriguez). Skubal could follow in the footsteps of former Tigers ace Justin Verlander, who was the last AL pitcher to win a Triple Crown in a full season in 2011 (Shane Bieber did it in the shortened 2020 season).

2. Corbin Burnes, Orioles (2 1st-place votes)

Burnes isn't that far off from where Skubal is, with an identical 12-4 record and a 2.63 ERA (third-best in the AL), as well as 132 strikeouts -- which included the 1,000th of his career in his last start. The Orioles ace already has an NL Cy Young Award under his belt, and if Burnes steps up down the stretch for an O's team battling the Yankees for the AL East title, he'll have a compelling case again.

3. Seth Lugo, Royals (1 1st-place vote)

Lugo's surprise emergence as a Cy Young contender continues. His 2.57 ERA is tied with Skubal for the best in the Majors, his 13 wins are tied with Rodriguez and Sale for the most in the Majors, and his 150 1/3 innings pitched lead the Majors. Lugo was a first-time All-Star this season … could he be a first-time Cy Young Award winner too?

4. George Kirby, Mariners

The Mariners have more than one starter in the Cy Young conversation -- just like they did last year -- but right now Kirby is the one who has a slight edge in our poll. The 26-year-old right-hander, who finished eighth in AL Cy Young voting last season, has a 2.00 ERA in 11 starts since the start of June, entering a marquee matchup against Skubal on Wednesday.

5. Logan Gilbert, Mariners

Gilbert has been, basically, every bit as good as Kirby, and that's why the Mariners have two pitchers in the top five of this Cy Young poll. A first-time All-Star this season, the big right-hander has a 3.05 ERA and leads the Mariners staff in innings pitched (147 2/3, second-most in the Majors behind Lugo) and strikeouts (143, fifth-most in the AL).

Others receiving votes: Garrett Crochet (White Sox; 1 1st-place vote), Cole Ragans (Royals), Emmanuel Clase (Guardians), Tanner Houck (Red Sox), Ronel Blanco (Astros), Brady Singer (Royals), Grayson Rodriguez (Orioles), Framber Valdez (Astros), Luis Castillo (Mariners), Andrés Muñoz (Mariners), Joe Ryan (Twins)

NATIONAL LEAGUE

1. Chris Sale, Braves (30 1st-place votes)

Sale's quest for the elusive first career Cy Young Award is still going strong. The ace lefty has allowed two runs or fewer in each of his last nine starts, and in 15 of his last 16. Overall, Sale is 13-3 with a 2.71 ERA and 155 strikeouts. He leads the NL in wins, winning percentage and ERA, and is tied for second in strikeouts with Tyler Glasnow, trailing only Dylan Cease.

2. Zack Wheeler, Phillies (2 1st-place votes)

The Phillies' workhorse ace stays in the No. 2 spot in our NL poll coming off maybe his best start of the season -- an eight-inning, two-hit, nine-strikeout scoreless gem to beat the Mariners on Sunday. Wheeler is now 11-5 with a 2.77 ERA and 148 strikeouts in 136 2/3 innings, ranking second in the NL in ERA to Sale, tied for second in wins, tied for second in innings pitched and sixth in strikeouts.

3. Dylan Cease, Padres

Since the last edition of this poll, Cease has thrown a no-hitter. That'll do wonders for your Cy Young case. That no-hitter was also the capper of a three-start stretch in which Cease allowed two hits total in 22 innings, with 30 strikeouts. The Padres ace leads the Majors with 174 K's, 12 more than the AL leaders Skubal and Crochet and 19 more than the next-closest NL pitchers, Sale and Glasnow.

4. Paul Skenes, Pirates (4 1st-place votes)

Skenes breaks into the top five of our poll, and if he'd been in the big leagues all season, he might well be leading it. A few of our voters think he should be, as Skenes got four first-place votes. The Pirates' star rookie might be the most dominant pitcher in the Majors right now. He's 6-1 with a 1.99 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 86 innings. Can he somehow take home the Cy Young Award even though he didn't debut until May 11?

5. Hunter Greene, Reds

Greene's breakout is here. The Reds' 24-year-old flamethrower is 8-4 with a 2.83 ERA and 149 strikeouts in 130 1/3 innings as a first-time All-Star in 2024. Greene ranks third in the National League in ERA, behind only Sale and Wheeler, and is tied for fourth in strikeouts with Freddy Peralta, behind only Cease, Glasnow and Sale. He has four scoreless outings in his last five starts, including six innings of one-hit, 11-strikeout baseball to beat the Giants his last time out.

Others receiving votes: Tyler Glasnow (Dodgers), Ranger Suárez (Phillies), Cristopher Sánchez (Phillies), Aaron Nola (Phillies), Logan Webb (Giants), Blake Snell (Giants), Jack Flaherty (Dodgers), Shota Imanaga (Cubs), Raisel Iglesias (Braves), Michael King (Padres)